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Accountability Initiative, Henry Shield, has urged Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan to bury personal ambition and unite behind a single opposition candidate if they want to defeat Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
In a post on X, Shield appealed directly to the three men, saying, “May I appeal to you three leaders to kindly consider Nigeria and Nigerians and join hands together to present the country with just one of you as the Opposition’s candidate while others rally behind such?”
He warned that any refusal to unite would hand Tinubu another victory and consign the opposition to irrelevance.
“Anything less, and Tinubu unfortunately wins; you all will spend the rest of your lives forever in opposition,” he wrote.
He added that saving Nigeria from the APC should be placed above ambition, saying, “Let the salvation of Nigeria from the APC be bigger than your personal ambition.”
His message sparked reactions, with many Nigerians agreeing that a divided opposition cannot defeat Bola Tinubu.
One user, Kris, wrote, “In 2019, Atiku/Obi won, and in 2023, Peter Obi clearly won. However, if Atiku, Jonathan, and Obi run separately in 2027, Tinubu will genuinely win the election before noon without rigging.”
Another user, Advocacy For Good Governance, argued that opposition parties should prioritise who can win a general election rather than party primaries.
“If ADC is serious about removing Tinubu, their primary focus should not be who can win the primary but who can win the election,” the user stated.
Many users insisted that only Peter Obi stood a real chance against Tinubu, rejecting Atiku Abubakar as a viable candidate.
“If Atiku couldn’t win against Buhari with the PDP structure in 2019. Then, he can’t win, Tinubu. The best Atiku should do is to support Peter Obi,” one comment read.
Users also claimed that Atiku’s age and repeated presidential attempts made him unsuitable for 2027.
Prince P.C Attah said, “Atiku and his endless selfish ambition is the problem of the opposition.”
Some warned that a failure to unite could turn Nigeria into a one-party state under APC.
Joey M wrote, “If BAT does win in 2027, the next elections will be so lopsided that the only way Atiku, P.O, GEJ or anyone else will stand a chance is to join APC.”
Others claimed that Bola Tinubu has quietly infiltrated opposition parties, making unity almost impossible.
“The truth is that Tinubu is actually the one funding most of these opposition parties,” Felix Kufre-Ima-Abasi alleged.
Respondents were sharply divided, with some backing Atiku and others dismissing him as too old, untrusted by the north and unfit to challenge Tinubu.
Shield’s call has reignited the debate over opposition unity as the 2027 election draws closer.
